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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
How do we diagnose dysfunctional breathing (breathing pattern disorder) in children and young people: an eDelphi
Kenneth A Macleod1,2, Ruth Stewart3, Donald S Urquhart4,2
1Department of Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK kenneth.a.macleod@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
Objective:
To assess current UK expert knowledge of breathing disorders, commonly referred to as dysfunctional breathing or breathing pattern disorders, in children and young people (CYP) with a view to constructing a clinical assessment tool for validation in this population.
Design:
Modified three-stage eDelphi process.
Setting:
Experts from UK paediatric respiratory centres INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses over three stages were used to achieve consensus on aspects of this condition such as the accepted name, reported symptoms, clinical signs, usual patient characteristics and comorbidities. The a priori threshold for consensus was 75% of those who selected 'somewhat agree', 'agree' or 'strongly agree' on a 7-point Likert scale.
Results:
39 participants (physiotherapists, nurses and doctors) participated in round 1, with 29 completing round 3. While no clear consensus was agreed between the two most popular names for this condition-dysfunctional breathing or breathing pattern disorder-there was a strong consensus on the common clinical features. Ten clinical features were agreed to be consistent with dysfunctional breathing/breathing pattern disorder, with 6 descriptive terms, 12 common phrases used by CYP and 7 signs and symptoms.
Conclusions:
There is currently no validated diagnostic tool for breathing disorders in CYP. This eDelphi consensus provides a basis for the future development of a clinical tool for use in primary, secondary and tertiary settings to aid the assessment of CYP with suspected dysfunctional breathing/breathing pattern disorder.
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